While Big Daddy was gone, I was busy, like I shared with Spring Cleaning!!!! And let me just say, that Spring has officially Sprung!!!! It has been so nice to live without all that clutter and to have a place for everything and everything in its place. The other bonus, and hence another reason I have been absent from blogging, is that with the house in tip top order, I have had time to catch up on some reading.
The kids and I also did a whole week of immersion study, which basically meant that we set aside our normal studies in Math, Lang, Science and History, and focused on a few specific areas of study instead.
The holocaust was one of them. We will be visiting the US Holocaust Memorial Museum while in DC, and I did NOT want to just show up and my kids have no idea what it was all about, and then be both shocked and confused. Our time studying the holocaust, was breathtaking. Literally, it took my breath away both with its horror and with its hope.
We read many first hand accounts, watched The Hiding Place, and entered into great discussion about what happened, why it happened, and how it should alter our world view.
I was so pleased with all of the kids....and I felt like each one, on their own level, really gained a sense of the scope of the tragedy.
I have also been busy with choosing our curriculum for next year. Homeschooling is an evolving learning experience for all involved, and I go to great lengths to tweak our learning environment every year. This year is no different, and I am once again taking stock at what really worked for us and what needs to be altered.
One thing that we won't be changing is Math-U-See....we love MUS and I can with great certainty say that this will be our math text of choice for the years to come. It definitely took time to adjust because it is NOT like anything we had ever used prior, but the adjustment was well worth it and we are now converts.
Along with all of that I have also been busy planning our upcoming NY/DC trip. Our house is busting with excitement. The Beez spends hours looking at her American Girl catalogue trying to decide which one she wants...which changes daily as well as every time we read one of the books...I feel she is going to break the bank...but for a five year old, American Girl is probably going to trump any museum or memorial, and I am okay with that.
The boys are excited about the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center site, and Mount Vernon. All in all, I think it will be the perfect family vacation. Big Daddy wants to eat at some great hole in the wall diners with humongous hamburgers...seriously folks, like 3, 5, 8 & 15 POUNDERS!!!! And, me, well I am looking forward to the Statue of Liberty and a Broadway show.
Anyway, so there you have it...Big Daddy gone for three weeks, spring cleaning, reading, vacation planning and gardening.
What have you been up to?
3 comments:
Can I just tell you that I'd LOVE for my husband to be gone for 3 weeks, we're into month 10 of his 15 month deployment! I know non-military families, 3 weeks would seem like a long time. What's funny is my Army wife friends and I joke, yet in all seriousness too, admit that 3 weeks to 30 days is just a little break from our husbands! It's a good time to be refreshed and appreciate him even more when he's back home!!!
Have fun learning. Isn't homeschooling great!! We will be going to that part of the U.S. in two years. And we love MUS also. Math can be fun. :)
Hey April,
I haven't been blogging much myself nor reading my favorite blogs. I've had friends come to visit which ultimately means instant "tourism". I'm really okay with that because we saw places we hadn't yet seen and it was all fabulous. If you have time, I have been writing about our adventures and will continue to do so until I get the gazillion pictures we took properly posted.
I can't wait to hear about all of your travels to NY and DC. You will have an amazing time and your kids will not forget it.
How are you? You might be traveling already in which case you may get this in a week or so. If you get it in the meantime, I'll be thinking of you and praying for safe travel.
Blessings,
Carol
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